Strawberry no bake cheesecake
This easy no-bake strawberry cheesecake is a dreamy combination of creamy cheese, fresh berries, and buttery cookie crust that will make you look like a dessert wizard!
Ingredients
- 2 cups crisp cookies of your choice graham crackers or coconut cookies will work great
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 packages Philadelphia cream cheese (8 oz each)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 oz strawberry gelatin
- 1 and 1/2 cups strawberries to garnish
Instructions
- Put the cookies in a plastic bag and crush the with a rolling pin until you get a fine crumb. You can also pulse them in a food processor - this will give you even finer crumb and will help hold the crust together better.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat and mix in the crushed biscuits. Make sure the crumbs are well coated so the crust holds together well.
- Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan to form the crust. You can use the bottom of a measuring cup or glass to press the crust - it will help it hold together when sliced.Refrigerate until you're ready to assemble the cheesecake (or at least for about 20 minutes).
- In a mixing bowl, beat together the powdered sugar, heavy cream, whipping cream, and cream cheese until smooth and creamy.If you're preparing this cheesecake in one sitting, leave the mixture on the counter while you're preparing the gelatin in the next step. This way, when you're ready to mix them, they should both be close to room temperature. This will help it blend smoothly without lumps.
- Prepare the Strawberry Gelatin according to package instructions and let it cool until room temperature. Pour into the batter (again, it's best if it's room temperature as well). Mix until all ingredients are fully blended. Use a gentle folding motion rather than vigorous stirring to keep the mixture airy.
- Spread the cheesecake mixture evenly over the biscuit crust. Place whole or diced strawberries on top. I recommend ripe strawberries for extra sweetness and flavor. You can also macerate them with a little sugar for 15 minutes before topping your cheesecake for that extra syrup-y texture and sweetness.
- Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 6 hours, or until set. If you're short on time, you can put it into freezer for an hour - but be very careful not to freeze it solid (I have an aunt that did that and then proudly said she rescued the cake by massaging it with her bare hands while the whole family was eating it - we never let her live it down).